The aim of this study is to look at how pepper was used in traditional medicine. In other words, this study aims to take a look at the process by which the medicinal nature & efficacy of pepper in traditional society was perceived and arranged through the aspects of the use of pepper as an exotic crop for treating diseases. This study investigated cases of using pepper for medical treatments by referring to books on traditional medicine in Korea. The old records about pepper are mainly in empirical medical books from the late Chosun dynasty. Nevertheless, the records about pepper tend to decrease in medical text as time goes by. Such a phenomenon can be attributable to the fact that people began to use pepper for daily food life rather than for medicinal purposes. Pepper was used mostly for digestive trouble such as vomiting, diarrhea, and stomachaches, and it was also applied to mental and aching diseases caused by the sound of body fluids remaining in the stomach. In addition, there were many cases where pepper was used externally for surgical disorders. Such symptoms for treatment are linked to, or in a complementary relationship with, research results in modern times. Boiled pepper was generally taken in the traditional herbal decoction method, and in the case of surgical diseases, it was applied externally. The cases of using old pepper, using pepper with seeds or without seeds, and using pepper mixed with sesame oil belong to a sort of herbal medicine processing, which usually aimed at changing the medicinal nature of pepper. In addition, in relation to the eating habits at that time, pepper was used as seasoning and to make red pepper paste with or without vinegar. There are two words used for pepper in the medical textbooks, 苦椒 (gocho) and 烈棗 (yeoljo). These words are translated into Korean as gochu, so we can identify this word as a nickname for pepper.

식물재료로는 꽃차로 이용되고 있는 식물 중 한의학 서적에 약효가 기록되어 있는 55종을 대상으로 하였다. 이들 식물의 한의학적인 약효를 해표약, 이수약, 청열 약, 사하약, 보익약, 보기약, 보혈약, 온리약, 이기약, 방향화습약과 활혈약 등 11군으로 분류하였다. 또한 이 식물들은 열(열, 온, 미온, 평, 량, 한), 맛(달다, 쓰다, 맵다, 시다, 짜다), 독성(있다, 없다) 별로 분류되 었다. 꽃차의 음용은 일반적으로 모든 사람에게 이용 가능할 것으로 알려져 있다. 그러나 꽃차를 음용 할 때는 본인의 체질과 건강상태에 맞는 꽃차를 선택하는 것이 중요하다. 독성이 있는 식물을 꽃차로 음용 할 때는 주의를 기울여야하고 몸이 허약한 사람은 음용을 금해야 한다. 앞으로 좀 더 많은 임상적인 연구가 진 행된다면 꽃차의 건강학적 효능에 따른 상품화가 가능 할 것으로 판단된다.